Michael is an experienced attorney practicing exclusively in Intellectual Property (IP) (patents, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, related licensing) and lP litigation.  He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark office and several U.S. states and the Canadian Patent Office.  He is a regular lecturer on IP topics around the world including Georgia Tech and McGill  (Montreal) Universities,

Michael is one of a few attorneys who has continuously practiced in all areas of IP, namely patent, trademark and copyright (including advertising law) for his entire career, starting at Merchant and Gould law firm where he prosecuted over a thousand patent and trademark application in the US and overseas.  He was the IP chair of Powell Goldstein law firm (now Bryan Cave LLP).

Michael is a frequent international speaker on the topic of creating IP strategies to make companies more valuable and saleable and is the co-author an editor of several books including “Bending Light” due out in 2013.  He is also a contributing author to Burr's "Succeeding in Succession" Blog.

He is the founder of Altera Law Group, an IP boutique law firm, where he still practices jointly through his affiliation with Burr & Forman.  

Michael has practiced overseas and is fluent in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. He received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Syracuse University School of Law in New York. He also holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (with honors) from the University of Minnesota.